On Fear

All human transactions are based on two emotions: Emotion of love or emotion of fear.

Fear is an ever-present feeling in most of our lives. But we fail to notice it most of the times. We fail to understand that the underlying motive of our action is fear. Fear of losing, fear of winning, fear of being exposed, fear of getting hurt, fear being exploited. It is a very limiting emotion. It pulls us down. 

Fear is the wall that blocks love from getting in and out of us. We will truly understand ourselves when we find our true fears. Fear is a protective emotion, like pain. If we do not have basic emotions such as fear and pain, we would not survive in this world very long. There are two types of fear: fear born out of real danger to the survival of ourselves or who we take responsibility for. This is a very valid emotion. It makes us be alert and force us to take necessary action. It is the second type of fear that is limiting. It is created by the conditioning of the mind, our ego. It is fear projected by our mind based on past instances or stories we tell ourselves.

What would be the best way to deal with it? My answer is, be aware of the fear when fear happen. Meditate on the true reason behind fear. If we operate with the hypothesis that the underlying cause of most of our limiting thoughts and negative actions is fear, then it would become a tangible feeling. Not elusive. We get confused when we do not understand our emotions or when we misunderstand it.  Why do we avoid certain tasks/responsibilities? What is the threat perceived by our mind? Is it fear of failure? Embarrassment? Death? Once we understand the root cause of fear, we can approach it rationally. Is it valid or made up by egoistic mind? If it is valid, let us respect it and find a rational way to address it. If it is made up to protect our ego, let us liberate from it. The objective is not to be fearless, but to objectively examine if it is valid or not. 

Is it possible to overcome all fears? I do not think it is possible. Fear is a basic evolutionarily conserved, survival strategy. It is like a knee-jerk reflex. We cannot avoid it from happening how much ever we prepare for it. The only thing we can do is to be aware of it and see as it is. Give only the respect it deserves. As Mark Twain said: "Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear."